What Does "Per Aspera Ad Astra" Mean?
Per aspera ad astra is a Latin phrase that translates to "through hardships to the stars" — or more poetically, "through difficulties, to the heights."
It's a five-word reminder that the path to anything worth reaching runs through struggle. Not around it. Through it.
Pronunciation: pair AH-spare-ah ad AH-strah (classical Latin)
Word-by-word breakdown:
- per — through
- aspera — hardships, rough terrain, adversity
- ad — to, toward
- astra — the stars
You'll also see it written as ad astra per aspera ("to the stars through hardships"). Both orderings are grammatically correct and carry the same meaning — the word order in Latin is flexible because meaning comes from case endings, not position. The per aspera ad astra version is more common in literature and tattoos; ad astra per aspera is the version chosen as the state motto of Kansas.
Where Did the Phrase Come From?
The exact origin of per aspera ad astra is debated, which is part of what makes it so enduring. It was not coined in a single moment by a single author. It distilled itself over centuries from several closely related Latin expressions.
The sentiment traces back to the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca, who wrote in Hercules Furens (a tragedy from around 54 AD): "non est ad astra mollis e terris via" — "there is no easy way from the earth to the stars." That line captures the same idea: greatness requires hardship.
The Roman poet Virgil used a similar construction in the Aeneid around 19 BC: "sic itur ad astra" — "thus one goes to the stars," spoken when heroes transcend ordinary limits through effort and courage.
The specific phrasing per aspera ad astra emerged later, during the Renaissance and early modern period, as scholars condensed and adapted these classical sources into a compact motto. By the 19th century, it had spread across Europe and become a fixture on coats of arms, university crests, and personal emblems.
Famous Uses of Per Aspera Ad Astra
The phrase's durability is a testament to its truth. It has been adopted by governments, militaries, space programs, and individuals for over two centuries.
State motto of Kansas (1861). Adopted when Kansas joined the Union after years of violent conflict over slavery — "Bleeding Kansas" — the motto reflected a state forged through hardship. The seal features a rising sun, plowed fields, and a wagon train heading west, with ad astra per aspera arched above.
Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom. Uses the closely related per ardua ad astra ("through adversity to the stars") as its official motto, adopted in 1912. The phrase is inscribed on the RAF memorial in London.
NASA, aviation, and space programs worldwide. Variations of the phrase appear on mission patches, aerospace academies, and pilots' wings across dozens of countries. It has become shorthand for the human drive to reach beyond earthly limits.
Popular culture. The phrase appears in J.K. Rowling's writing, was quoted by President John F. Kennedy, and has been tattooed on countless people marking a milestone — a recovery, a graduation, a loss transformed into purpose.
Why the Phrase Still Resonates
Most motivational sayings promise that effort leads to reward. Per aspera ad astra says something sharper and truer: the reward is only available because of the hardship.
A few years ago I was driving with my parents to Ventura, California, and we switched on an Oprah SuperSoul Conversations episode with the author Eckhart Tolle. In the last ten minutes, Oprah asked him how he interpreted the troubled times we were living in. He answered with a phrase I had never heard before: per aspera ad astra, a Latin saying going back two thousand years. "Whenever an obstacle rises that seems to block the path forward," he said, "in reality the obstacle has an essential function. It forces me, or it forces humanity, to generate more — either more strength, more energy, or more consciousness."
That reframe stuck with me. It asks you to stop viewing difficulty as an obstacle to your goals and start viewing it as the road to them. You don't arrive at the stars despite the rough terrain — you arrive because you crossed it.
This isn't toxic positivity. The Stoics who shaped the idea didn't romanticize suffering. They recognized that adversity is unavoidable, and that the only question worth asking is how you respond to it. A life with meaning is not a life without hardship. It's a life in which hardship becomes the thing that shapes you.
The philosopher Marcus Aurelius, writing roughly a century after Seneca, captured the same idea in his Meditations: "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
How to Live "Per Aspera Ad Astra" in Daily Life
Understanding the phrase is one thing. Living it is another. Here are five practices, rooted in the Stoic tradition, that translate the idea into something you can actually use.
1. Reframe the obstacle in front of you.
When you hit a setback, pause and ask: what is this here to teach me? Not as a platitude, but as an honest inquiry. A difficult conversation, a missed deadline, a rejection — each contains information about how to move forward more skillfully.
2. Separate what you control from what you don't.
Epictetus, another Stoic, taught that wisdom begins with this distinction. The weather, other people's opinions, the economy — outside your control. Your effort, your response, your values — inside your control. Put your energy in the second category.
3. Practice voluntary difficulty.
Seneca occasionally chose days of deliberate simplicity — eating plainly, wearing rough clothing — to remind himself that comfort is a preference, not a need. A modern version: take a cold shower, fast for a day, or sit quietly without your phone. Small chosen hardships build the muscle you'll need for unchosen ones.
4. Keep a reflection journal.
Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations as private reminders to himself. A reflection practice — even five minutes a day — lets you review what you faced, how you responded, and what you'd do differently. Over time, you build a relationship with your own growth.
5. Remember the stars.
When hardship feels relentless, it helps to remember what it's pointing toward. The Stoics didn't tell people to suffer for its own sake. They told them to keep their eyes on what matters — meaning, virtue, the life they wanted to build — and to accept the difficulty as the cost of getting there.
Common Misconceptions About the Phrase
Because per aspera ad astra gets used so often — in graduation speeches, on coffee mugs, in Instagram captions — some of its meaning has eroded. A few clarifications:
It is not a "no pain, no gain" slogan. It's not about glorifying suffering or treating exhaustion as a virtue. It's about recognizing that worthwhile pursuits include difficulty and meeting that difficulty with equanimity.
It is not only about grand achievements. The "stars" don't have to be literal accomplishments. For the Stoics, the highest goal was simply to live well — to act with wisdom, courage, justice, and self-restraint. The stars can be a good marriage, a meaningful friendship, or a peaceful mind.
It is not fatalistic. The phrase acknowledges hardship as part of the journey, but it does not counsel passivity. Quite the opposite: it presumes you're still walking toward something.
Bringing the Phrase Home
If per aspera ad astra resonates with you, the question becomes: what do you want to do with it?
One of the oldest ways to internalize a motto is to live with it visually — to keep the words in a place you'll encounter them every day. Holstee's Manifesto collection was built on that idea. The original Holstee Manifesto started as a single document that a small team wrote to remind themselves what kind of life they wanted to build. Hundreds of thousands of people since have hung it on their walls for the same reason.
If you're drawn to the reflective side of this philosophy — the journaling and self-examination the Stoics valued — Holstee's Reflection Cards offer a simple way to start. Each card is a thoughtful prompt that invites you to pause and consider what matters most. They're particularly useful in hard seasons, when you need something external to help you make sense of what you're going through.
And if you want to practice this way of thinking alongside others, The Flourishing Life is Holstee's membership community for people committed to reflection, connection, and intentional living.
When I look at my own life, I see that my greatest periods of personal growth came on the heels of the hardest stretches — moments when I was well beyond my comfort zone. That's the reason this phrase has stayed with me. It doesn't make the difficult seasons any easier to live through, but it does give me hope that through all of it, we can rise higher than where we started.
To the stars,
Dave Radparvar
Co-Founder, Holstee
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "per aspera ad astra" mean in English?
Per aspera ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "through hardships to the stars." It expresses the idea that meaningful accomplishments — and meaningful lives — are reached by passing through difficulty rather than avoiding it.
Is it "per aspera ad astra" or "ad astra per aspera"?
Both are correct. Latin word order is flexible because meaning is carried by word endings, not position. Per aspera ad astra ("through hardships to the stars") is more common in everyday use and literature. Ad astra per aspera ("to the stars through hardships") is the version used as the state motto of Kansas. The meaning is the same.
Who said "per aspera ad astra"?
The phrase has no single author. It draws on lines from the Roman philosopher Seneca (around 54 AD), who wrote that "there is no easy way from the earth to the stars," and the Roman poet Virgil (around 19 BC), who wrote sic itur ad astra ("thus one goes to the stars"). The exact phrasing per aspera ad astra emerged during the Renaissance as a condensed motto.
How do you pronounce "per aspera ad astra"?
In classical Latin: pair AH-spare-ah ad AH-strah. In ecclesiastical (Church) Latin, the "c" and "g" are softer, but the vowels are pronounced the same way.
Why is "per aspera ad astra" a popular tattoo?
Its popularity as a tattoo comes from how compact and visually elegant the Latin looks, and from what it signifies: that you have passed through something difficult and come out transformed. Many people get the phrase inked after surviving illness, loss, addiction, or a major life transition.
What is the difference between "per aspera ad astra" and "per ardua ad astra"?
Both mean roughly the same thing, but they use different Latin words for "hardship." Aspera refers to roughness or rugged terrain. Ardua refers to steepness or arduous effort. Per ardua ad astra ("through adversity to the stars") is the official motto of the Royal Air Force.
Is "per aspera ad astra" from the Bible?
No. The phrase is from Roman classical tradition, not biblical or religious tradition. It draws on Stoic philosophy and Roman poetry. Some later Christian writers borrowed the phrase, but its origins are secular.
